Austin Riley: The Braves’ Crucial X-Factor for 2026 Success

Austin Riley is clearly the biggest X Factor for the Atlanta Braves success or failure in 2026. You are a locked-on [music] Braves, your daily Atlanta Braves podcast, part of the locked-on podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, and welcome back to locked-on Braves, part of locked-on Sports Atlanta, where we cover your favorite Atlanta sports teams each and every day. Also, part of the locked-on Network, the number one sports podcast Network. I'm your host Jake Mastrioni. You can follow me on social media at shortstop ball. I've been covering the Atlanta Braves in both written and podcast form for over 10 years now. And again, this is locked-on Braves, your daily connection to all things Atlanta Braves. On today's episode, we're going to be looking at the biggest X factors for the Atlanta Braves going into 2026, headlined by Austin Riley, who I think is the clear choice and a lot of you as well for the X Factor for the Atlanta Braves in 2026. We'll also break down the game from Thursday. You had Chris Sale, you had Spencer Strider pitching in there, velocity back up. We'll break down his outing and the offense just continues to stroke. Mike Yastrzemski playing a bigger role than ever, possibly, continues to have a really good spring. We'll break all that down later in the episode, which is brought to you by MLB The Show 26. Visit mlbtheshow.com/lockedon. Use code at locked-on to unlock a pack for use in Diamond Dynasty. Pre-order now and the game will be available on March 17th on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, rated E for everyone. And stay tuned later in the episode for our MLB top 100 highlight. Well, it is our X Factor episode of the season where I'm going to tell you I think is the biggest X Factor for the Atlanta Atlanta Braves in the upcoming season. But, if you've been listening and tuning in all off season long, you already know what the answer is. And I asked many of you on social media who you think the biggest X Factor is for the Atlanta Braves going into the season, and it was almost unanimous. You all agreed with me and that it is Austin Riley. But before we get into that, the way I define an X Factor is that a player that if they perform like we believe they can, it will completely change the dynamic of the team. That's how I view an X Factor, and that's why it's an it's an easy decision for me. It's the easiest decision I've had to make all off season. It is Austin Riley, and I'm going to tell you tell you why. We feel pretty confident that we're going to get good production from Olson and Acuña. And honestly, I feel really confident about Drake Baldwin, as well. I I I tweeted this out during Thursday's game, where he just went one for four, but it seems like every time I'm seeing him make contact, it is loud. Like, I'm almost more impressed with Drake Baldwin based on what and it's just spring training, I get it, but I'm almost becoming more impressed and confident in Drake Baldwin not having that sophomore slump. He has looked so good in spring training, lacing the baseball all over the field. So, I feel pretty confident in what I'm going to get out of those three guys. I used to include Profar in that group as well. I can no longer do that. But the one guy at the top of the order I'm just not sure of is Austin Riley. And in order for that top of the lineup to be considered one of the best in baseball, it needs Austin Riley to be an All-Star level player. Especially now with the absence of Jurickson Profar. Because like I said, I used to include Profar in that top five of guys that I I feel confident in in what they're going to give the Atlanta Braves this season. But in order for And that group can still be good. Like, let's just say it doesn't happen for Riley this year. Let's Let's say that the Riley we've seen the past two years, that's just a slightly above average offensive player, that's who he is again. Even if that is the case, I think this this top of the order can still be really good with Acuña, Olson, and Drake Baldwin. But in order for this lineup to go from being good to great, it's very much dependent on Austin Riley. It is very much dependent on Austin Riley being an All-Star level player, because look, as I've said, those other three guys, Acuña, Olson, Baldwin, they all can be potential All-Stars. Like, it would not surprise anyone if those three are in the All-Star game. Riley can do that, too. We know what he's capable of. And all of a sudden, you have four All-Stars at the top of your lineup. It just takes this team to another level. And I want to get more into why that's important in just a second. But let let's let's look at the numbers here real quickly, because I want to bring up the numbers for Austin Riley the past couple of years. And when you look into the the WRC+ for Austin Riley, like I've talked about, it's been a four-year decline offensively. Now, you know, that's a bit misleading, because it's really just the past two years. I mean, in 2022, he had a 144 WRC+, the best of his career. In 2023, it was 128. So, still very, very good. But then the past two years, 116, 103. Again, above average, 100 WRC+, 100 is league average. So, anything above 100 is obviously above league average, but certainly not to where you're hoping Riley will be or where you thought Riley would be when you paid him, you know, the largest contract in Atlanta Braves history. And we also know the last two years he's been battling with injuries, and that's likely the biggest cause for the drop-off the last two years. But still, it's been a while since we've seen that All-Star level and All-Star version of Austin Riley. He's going to need to prove that to us again, that now, hopefully fully healthy, he can still be that guy. And if you dig into the numbers even further for 2024, 2025 seasons. In 2024, the metrics were all mostly in line with where they were before. And if you remember how that season went, kind of got off to the slow start like many Braves players did that year. Then he had the oblique injury. There was that odd situation where the Braves didn't put him on the IL, but he sat on the bench for like two weeks. Then they tried to bring him right back without uh, you know, any any warm-up. And then just never really got on track. And then second half of that season, he looked like Austin Riley again. And then he got got hurt. Um, got hit in the hand. So, for the most part in 2024, though, when you look at the metrics, it was in line with where his previous two seasons were. 2025 is the only season that I look at that's really concerning, where we saw some big drop-offs in key areas for Austin Riley that could tank his game. We saw his strikeout rate spike to nearly 29%. We saw an expected batting average and an expected slugging percentage tanking to 246 and 472. You're not typically going to see Austin Riley with an ex- expected slug under 500. And you look at his percentile ranks on Baseball Savant last year, X slugging percentage, you know, 77th percentile, still really good, but nowhere near where Austin Riley is typically. His barrel rate, still 92 92nd percentile, very good. Hard hit rate, 88th percentile, very good. His chase rate, even 50th percentile, is not terrible. But you look at that whiff rate, 18th percentile. His strikeout rate, seventh percentile. His walk rate, 22nd percentile. You really saw him swinging and missing a lot more last year, striking out more, not taking as many walks. And that was really the part of his game that held him back last season. Like I said, still hits the ball extremely hard and does those things really, really well. He's talked in spring training about his hip sliding and that throwing off his timing, which would make sense on why he's late on the four-seamer and not able to recognize, adjust to that slider away. He had a negative three run value on four-seamers last year, and he had a negative seven run value on sliders. So, certainly that has been a troubling part of his game. Hopefully, he gets that figured out. And that's why there is reason to be optimistic on Austin Riley figuring it out. It's not a it's not a loss of ability. As I sho- showed you with the metrics, when he makes contact, it's still very loud contact. There was just a a lack of it last year. And there's very there's reasons to be optimistic if, you know, this hip slide that he's talking about, if that is the reason why the timing has been off and he can correct that. If, you know, the health has certainly played a big factor. If he is now fully healthy and those two things happen, I have I have no doubt that Austin Riley can get back to being that All-Star level type of player, getting MVP votes like he has in the past. I'm very confident that he can get back to being that type of player. So, again, for me, he's clearly the X Factor, because he takes this offense, I think, from being just mediocre, you know, maybe a middle-of-the-pack type of offense, to a guy or or to an offense that is tops in the league again. I think that's how important Austin Riley is, because the rest of that group at the top, I think, is going to do their job. Can Austin Riley do his? Can he be that number three, number four hitter in the lineup, driving in 100, hitting 30, you know, batting 270, 280? Can Austin Riley get back to being that type of guy? If he can, I feel much more confident in this offense getting it done. And to me, that's almost more important than the starting rotation and why it's not as much of a worry and why Spencer Strider wasn't my X Factor. But we will talk about him next. This week's MLB top 100 highlight is brought to you by MLB The Show 26, the latest from the beloved video game franchise. Each week, we're highlighting the stars of MLB's top 100 player list, the elite names you'll be controlling and building around and going head-to-head with in MLB The Show. And of course, you know today we're spotlighting Ronald Acuña Jr. Ranked number 14 in Locked On MLB's top 100, and he'll also be starting out as a diamond card with a rating of 87 in MLB The Show's Diamond Dynasty. 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Thank you for making Locked On Braves your first listen of the day, and thank you for making Locked On the number one sports podcast network. If you're a true die-hard Braves fan, the everyday all-access tier is built for you. You'll get one-on-one text access to me and Lindsey, all-access episodes with myself and Lindsey. We got so much exciting stuff planned for the upcoming season, so now's a great time to jump in, and you'll get some other other perks as well with that all-access tier. Or our first tier, you can get ad-free audio versions of the podcast and access to our members-only Discord. Go to lockedonbraves.supercast.com. That's lockedonbraves.supercast.com. You got the show or the link down in the show notes as well, so please check that out. Help support the show, get a little bit more content of your beloved Atlanta Braves. Getting back into our discussion here today, looking at the X factors for the Atlanta Braves in the upcoming season. Many of you may have thought that I was going to go for Spencer Strider. Even when I asked my wife, I teased her. I didn't, you know, she doesn't know many names on the team as it is, but I said, "Who Who do you think is the X factor for the Atlanta Braves this year?" She said, "Spencer Strider." Probably because we watched him in Sarasota, and I told her that I wanted to be there early, get in the seat so I could watch Spencer Strider pitch because he's a big It's a big important piece of spring training and for the Braves this year, so I could definitely see that. And he's definitely the biggest X factor for the pitching staff. With the loss of Shwellenbach, it's imperative that the Braves find another top of the rotation arm with Chris Sale. And you know, let's be honest, what we saw from Strider last year, and even what we've seen so far in spring training, although it was better today, I'm still not quite convinced that he is that top of the rotation arm. I still believe Strider will, at the very least, be a really good starter for the Atlanta Braves, but you need more than that from him with the loss loss of Shwellenbach. He has to be that number two. And look, we know he's capable of being even more than that. We know he's capable of being a number one. And if he can turn back into that, suddenly this the the dynamic of this rotation changes completely. Same thing with Austin Riley. If Austin Riley is Austin Riley, then the complete the entire dynamic of the offense changes. You could say the same for Strider. If Spencer Strider gets back to being that guy, then the dynamic of this rotation completely changes. And he is very important, and I would not fault you at all if you said that he was the biggest X factor for the Atlanta Braves going into this upcoming season. But let me tell you why I went with Riley over Strider. It's because that I believe for the regular season, it's easier to survive with a great offense than it is to survive with a great starting rotation. And if that's the case, you need to have an offense that can score four runs on a nightly basis. You look at even last year, as rough as the starting rotation was, the Atlanta Braves were fourth in all of baseball in quality starts. They got some good starts last year, but why were they so bad? Cuz they couldn't score any runs. They were losing in a lot of three-to-two, four-to-three type of ball games. And if you have an offense that can overcome that and put up at least four or so four or more runs a night, you're going to be able to overcome even some bad starts. I think it's more important to have a a great offense than it is to have a great rotation for the regular season. I'll be very clear on that part. And to further the point, the Braves offense was tops in 2023, and the pitching staff was middle of the pack, 15th, but yet they won 104 games. And then in 2024, the Braves pitching staff was the best in baseball, and the offense was middle of the pack at 12th overall, and yet they won just 89 games. So you're talking about a 15-win difference there, and there's obviously other factors involved in all of that, but you can see what having a great offense and a mediocre pitching staff compared to what a great pitching staff and a mediocre offense looks like in the regular season. So that's why I went with Austin Riley over Spencer Strider. Both guys are very key for the offense in Riley and for the pitching staff in Strider, but I I think I I I believe that having the better offense for the regular season is going to benefit this team even more. And then the other X factors you could have gone with are Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies. I feel like we talked about them ad nauseam, though, and and honestly, them being good just lengthens the lineup. I don't know that either are Yes, they they make a difference. I mean, if those guys reach what they're capable of doing. I mean, Michael Harris This guy is still the limit for the for that guy. I mean, he could be a 30-30 player. Like it would not shock me at all if Michael Harris has a 30-30 season in him. I'm not counting on it, but still, I would say those guys being getting back to who they can be, those are just those are nice additions to the lineup. I don't necessarily think that they are game-changing, at least from what we've seen from them so far. Again, I think Michael Harris has a potential to be a game-changing type of player, but mostly them being good, I think just lengthens the lineup. Riley is the guy that has the potential to hit 30, drive in 100, hit for, you know, high average as well. He has the potential to be that all-star, MVP-level type of player that we've seen before. So yes, you could say Michael Harris and/or Ozzie Albies are key X factors, and they they are, but they're just not as big to me as Riley or even Spencer Strider in the upcoming season. Another X factor for me, not to beat a dead horse that I've beaten over and over again already this offseason, but Antoine Richardson. Uh Not often that you're going to hear somebody talk about a coach being an X factor, but if they can be more aggressive on the bases. You saw them steal three bags in the game on Thursday, including Michael Harris and Mauricio Dubón, it's going to help them manufacture more runs. It's going to help eliminate some of those droughts when you're not getting those home runs. And so I think Antoine Richardson is definitely could be an X factor this season. We got to see it first, but he has the chance to really up the ante of this offense, the floor of this offense. And then the final X factor for me is the young relievers. I said it in yesterday's episode, I feel really good about 7, 8, and 9. You know, Lee, Suárez, Iglesias, I feel great about. But behind them, I'm really, really nervous. You're talking about Tyler Kinley, Aaron Bummer, Joe Jiménez, who I don't I don't even think we've seen in spring training, so it is They're They're definitely question marks behind those top three in the bullpen. But the Braves have a ton of very talented arms in the minors who could make a huge impact if they reach their potential. You're talking about a Hayden Harris, a young Carlos Laura, Daysbel Hernández, a Blake Burkhhalter. I don't think we've seen Daysbel or Laura or Burkhhalter in spring training so far, and Laura just got optioned back down to Gwinnett. But these are guys that if they reach their ceiling, and they're they're right there knocking at the door. They just need to figure out a couple of more things, but if they do, these aren't just guys that can be good relievers. These are guys that can be solid setup pieces. In the case of Laura, if everything comes together, it's Mason Miller. Like that is the ceiling for a young Carlos Laura. So I think those young relievers are also an X factor. I think there's going to be holes in the back of the bullpen, but if those guys reach their potential, they can come in and make it just a lights-out bullpen for the Atlanta Braves. So those are some of my X factors for the upcoming season. Again, I asked a lot of you what your X X factor would be. Matt Olson's burner saying Austin Riley, if he's a star again, I think him and Ronnie and Olson can carry the offense. I definitely agree with that and again throw Ballwin in there too. I'm I'm really getting really excited about Ballwin. Dustin Mouse says pitching staff Ronaldo and Strider if one of them can pitch like a two definitely agree with that. I don't see Ronaldo getting that. He had a sub three ERA or sub two ERA the last time that he was a starter. But I'm not expecting that again especially after not pitching in nearly two years. Brian James says Austin Riley without a doubt. Calvin Finner says Sean Murphy. And and this is why I I put the definition on what I consider an X-Factor. I could see Sean Murphy being an X-Factor in the case of a guy that maybe you weren't expecting much from and this is how some people define an X-Factor is somebody that you weren't expecting a lot from but if you get what they're capable of then it you know obviously you know changes what the team with the outlook of the team is. In that regard Sean Murphy could be that cuz he could be getting a lot more bats once he does return now. Mark Jackson says Riley and Strider by a mile. I agree. Corey Slovis as well says Riley and Strider. Yeah, with without a doubt those two guys are the biggest X-Factors. Riley for the offense, Strider for the pitching staff. If those guys can be as good as we know they can be it completely changes what this team looks like. Andrew Albrecht says Profar's 18 million. I think it's actually 15 million for this year but if it's used correctly we'll see or if it's used at all that could definitely be a big X-Factor for the upcoming season. But thank you for your comments for responding on social media. But let me know down in the comment section of this podcast who are your biggest X-Factors for the upcoming season. Anybody else that I didn't mention here or maybe for another reason why you think Riley or Strider are the biggest X-Factor this season. Let me know down in the comment section below. All right, next we'll get into the game from Thursday where we saw Chris Sale and Spencer Strider take the mound. We'll break down Strider's outing. Is he back? The velocity's back up? We'll discuss it here next. It's tax time but for a lot of us the old way of doing taxes is kind of a lot. Trying to book an appointment that's not the most convenient, sitting in a waiting room with a stack of papers, emailing back and forth and wondering if they really get your situation. But this year you're getting a major upgrade. Into It TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. You can meet face-to-face with a real tax expert and your documents get uploaded straight to your TurboTax app on the spot. And just like that you're done. Your TurboTax expert works to get you every dollar you deserve while you get real-time notifications as you go about your day. It's the relief of walking in and meeting a real person and walking out knowing your taxes are being handled right. Head to turbotax.com/local to find a store near you and book your appointment. 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A game you don't want to miss if you're a Braves fan on Friday starting at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. I think that might be 12:00 a.m. Eastern. Either way you don't want to miss Netherlands versus Venezuela. You can see World Baseball Classic odds over there as well on fanduel.com. Also make sure you visit fanduel.com/playwithaplan for tools and resources to help you stay in control of the way you play. Go safe. Go bold. Ride with the team you've been following all season long. It's your parlay, your style now with more upside behind it. Head to fanduel.com to get started. That's fanduel.com. FanDuel, play your game. And to wrap things up here we'll get to a little bit of news and then we'll discuss Thursday's outing. Chipper and Murphy were in camp on Thursday. Chipper said he'll be more involved with the hitting this year. He said that earlier this off-season. And so let's hope that that's true. Good to see both of those guys down there. Got to talk to them during the game. I didn't personally but on the broadcast they did. And they they met with the players and had good discussion with them. So that's certainly great when you can pick the brains of those two both should be Hall of Famers but one Hall of Famer and one to so hopefully be in the future. Some chatter about the Braves perhaps pursuing Jorge Soler going around the inner webs. Somebody said it in the live chat the other day when I talked about the Profar and I just kind of scoffed at it. I'm still kind of scoffing at it. He's owed 16 million this year. Had a 680 OPS last season. He did have an 891 OPS against lefties in 2024 but he can only DH. I really don't want to get caught with a another DH only type of bat. We can't have him in the field trying to cost Chris Sale another Cy Young. So I'm kind of out on Jorge Soler myself. We'll talk about another possibility here in a second but I wanted to at least mention Jorge Soler because a lot of people were talking about it. Getting into the game on Thursday Chris Sale and Spencer Strider pitching in this one piggybacking each other. Sale went three innings gave up five hits. A lot of a lot of them kind of the weak variety. One walked. No earned runs for Chris Sale. Two strikeouts. Eight whiffs. One on all at least one on all four pitches. So that's really cool to see for Chris Sale at 38% whiff rate. That's extremely good. So I thought Sale looked great. Again some of the hits he gave up were pretty weak hits but overall I don't really worry about Chris Sale at all. The one I do worry about is Spencer Strider and there were definitely some encouraging signs in this one. He went two and a third innings. Only allowed two hits. Only two hard hit balls against him. One walk. Two earned runs. Four strikeouts. The four-seam fastball average 95 mph. Topped out at 97. So that's more in line with where he was last year. And who knows maybe he's still ramping up. Maybe there's even more in the tank. I did think that he struggled with the command of the fastball and even though the IVB was it was more around 17 inches which is you know it's above average but still didn't see anybody really struggling to hit the four-seamer. When they did swing at it there were no whiffs on the four-seamer. But again he was really struggling with the command I thought of that four-seam fastball. The slider was great for the most part. All five of the whiffs that he got were on the slider. Only four curveballs. Only three changeups. I thought he might try to mix those in a little bit more. Continue working on those pitches. Two loud hits in this one. One on a 94 mph four-seamer down and into a lefty that he just dropped the barrel on. One on a hanging slider to Addison Barger off of a really long at bat. Barger did a good job fighting off some tough pitches. He got a a slider that just kind of hung there. You know it it was a 3-0 count. He worked back 3-2. Then Barger fouled off a bunch of pitches and then he went with the slider and just didn't get it in and it stayed over the plate and Barger kind of ripped it. The ball was also seen to be carrying out a lot. It was a ball that off the bat I know he hit it hard but I thought maybe Michael had a shot on it and it just kind of kept going. Um it kept going to that it was using that slider a lot in crucial counts too. Like that he was 3-0 to Barger and it was slider slider slider slider. I think he threw maybe one fastball and then came I think maybe threw one fastball and one changeup then came back to the slider again. And then he had another 3-2 count and he kept going to that slider. You just wonder if he feels more confident in that slider. Like I said he seemed to be struggling with the four-seam command in this outing and maybe that's why he threw the slider and it's just spring training. He may have been working on some things. Offensively or just to wrap things up on Strider this start while the velocity was there still doesn't have me jumping like I'm still not confident and we may not be confident until we see Strider actually do it in the regular season. You know definitely I think a step up from his first outing but he still doesn't have me just completely convinced that he's a top rotation guy. As I've said all along I have no doubts that Strider's going to be a good pitcher. But again as we keep saying he needs to be more than that. The Braves need him to be more than that. And this start still just didn't really convince me that that's there just yet. I'm still not seeing that power fastball like we've seen in the past. Offensively Austin Riley who we talked about a lot today. He goes one for one at the plate. Two walks and had a sac fly with a runner at third less than two outs. Put the ball in play with a two strike count and I thought he did a great job putting the ball in play driving it into the outfield getting the runner in. Those are key things key situations the Braves did not do a great job of last year. So I thought that was really good from Riley. Mauricio Dubon batting lead off went three for three. Also stole a base. Just Grimsky two more hits. He's batting 571 this spring. Dominic Smith who according to Fangraphs is the starting DH for the Atlanta Braves now hit a home run in this one. Michael Harris with a stolen base. So that was good to see as the Braves are running a little bit more. And then the Braves optioned a couple more players. I mentioned Jean Carlos Lara getting optioned to Gwinnett. They reassigned Austin Pope, Jim Jarvis, Alec Loudes, and Luke Waddell to minor league camp. I was impressed with what we saw from Jim Jarvis. I don't think he's going to be a starter or anything but he and Luke Waddell I think are kind of in the same vein to me. Guys that can play all over the infield. They're just gamers. They're going to be those they're going to do those little things for you to help you win in ball games. They're going to be solid utility players at the next level someday. We could see both of those guys at some point this year. The major league roster is now down to 54 players. So obviously we got to get it down to 26 by opening day. Some news from around right in major league baseball. The Rangers signed Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal. This is the second time now in spring training that the Braves have lost somebody, there's been seemingly an obvious replacement out there and AA didn't pull the trigger. That's That's just annoying as a fan. And look, maybe Andrew McCutchen's just not the answer. Again, I'm not I'm not as up in arms about this one as I was the Chris Bassitt one. But it's a minor league deal for Andrew McCutchen. And look, maybe he just felt like maybe McCutchen just felt like he had a better opportunity in Texas, but it's just it is annoying that both times now, you lose Shwellenbach, Chris Bassitt still out there and the day or two after you don't sign Chris Bassitt. And then the day after you lose Jurickson Profar, Andrew McCutchen's out there and the day after Andrew McCutchen signs with somebody else on a minor league deal. Just kind of a little bit frustrating. But another name to keep an eye on is actually somebody I mentioned earlier this off season as a potential right-handed bat that the Braves have been needing, and that's Ryan Mountcastle. The Orioles are still looking to possibly move him. He has a career 813 OPS versus left-handed pitchers. Hasn't played outfield since 2021, but maybe could do it in a pinch if needed, but would more so be a DH backup first base. Maybe get Olson off his feet for a day. So don't sleep on that opportunity either if AA's even looking for some other opportunities out there. And then the World Baseball Classic is underway. USA plays Brazil on Friday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Big Fox. You'll mostly need access to Fox, FS1, and FS2. You can get a free 7-day trial, which I signed up for and then I'm maybe going to cancel it and use my wife's email to get another 7-day trial for the rest of the World Baseball Classic. But you'll need Fox for during the season anyway. But you can also get a Fox and ESPN package. Not that I'm here selling anything. There's so many so many things you have to pay for now to watch sports. It's annoying. But that's where you'll watch most of the games. But the game you really want to focus in on Friday is the Netherlands and the Venezuelans. As a Braves fan, there's already been a lot of trash talk between Aussie and Ronald about this one. That one starts at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on a Friday. It's on Tubi, which is free for everybody. You don't need a subscription for that one. So I would definitely make sure that you tune into that one. I I will certainly be watching as well. All right, that will do it for this episode of a Locked On Braves. Thanks so much for joining us today. Hit that subscribe button on YouTube if you haven't already. Thumbs up button as well. Leave a comment down below. All those things tremendously help us out here at Locked On Braves. If you're all on the audio side, you can have about two. Just leave a five-star review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. We'll be back on Friday with our mailbag episode. I get enough questions, we'll probably have a two-parter like we've had the last couple of weeks. Thank you so much for submitting all your great questions. I'm sure we'll have some on Profar. But look for my post from Locked On _Braves on X and also on YouTube. I'll ask for your questions there as well. Submit them there to be answered on our Friday mailbag episode. That'll do it for this one. Make sure that you rate, review, and subscribe to the Locked On Braves podcast wherever you get your podcast, and we will talk to you next time.

Austin Riley emerges as the Atlanta Braves’ biggest X-factor in 2026. Can he recapture his All-Star form and elevate the Braves’ offense from good to elite status? Jake Mastroianni spotlights Riley’s recent struggles, injury updates, and the pivotal role he plays alongside stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson. The discussion digs into advanced stats like WRC+, strikeout rates, and leaderboard comparisons, making a compelling case for why Riley’s performance could define the season. Key topics include Spencer Strider’s impact on Atlanta’s pitching staff, the importance of a high-powered offense versus a dominant rotation, and X-factor candidates like Michael Harris, Ozzy Albies, and key young relievers. Updates on Chris Sale’s and Strider’s latest outings, anticipated roster moves, and intriguing trade rumors—like a potential Ryan Mountcastle addition—keep Braves fans primed for the season. Will the Braves’ dynamic lineup and bullpen depth be enough for a championship run? Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-braves/ Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/ #Braves #AtlantaBraves #mlb Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! PlayStation This episode of is brought to you by MLB The Show 26. Visit https://mlbthe.show/lockedon and use code “LOCKEDON” to unlock a pack for use in Diamond Dynasty. Pre-Order now, Available March 17th on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. RATED E FOR EVERYONE. Turbo Tax For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Take taxes off your plate and get back to your life. Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel FanDuel is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a College Basketball Parlay Profit Boost. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) 00:00 — Austin Riley X-Factor Discussion 09:48 — Strider vs. Riley: X-Factor Debate 24:03 — Braves News & Game Recap